DADA: Lesson Three (All Years)

For once, Mercy wasn't particularly looking forward to DADA. Normally, she'd consider it her favourite class--fun professor, practical lessons, and active classes (with real magic casting, unlike some subjects). But today's class didn't make much sense to her at all.

She'd gotten a slip of paper earlier, which had three bits of information on it: her country was Greece, her stance was for changing the Statute of Secrecy, and today's class would be a debate.

Debates were not her idea of fun. She didn't really see what it had to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, either. From what she'd seen, it was just talking back in forth about complicated things, using big words that she didn't understand. And she had no idea what they were debating, or why it was relevant.

Mercy didn't really keep up with the news, and especially not that political nonsense. That was grownup stuff, and she didn't see how it affected her. But apparently there was some big conference, and important people from all different countries were having this debate, so they were having a miniature version in class? At least, that's what she had gathered from some older students when she'd asked. They'd also given her a few tips for preparing her argument, but she still wasn't really sure she understood the premise of the debate in the first place, so, while she could recite what they had told her, she couldn't really explain what she was saying or why.

Still, if the class was to have an argument, she was determined that her side would win.


OOC: Greece. For.

Clara wasn't sure how to feel about the upcoming ICWW conference. Her opinion wasn't strong either way, despite knowing how crucial the decision was. There were pros and cons to both sides. She wasn't so naive as to believe that the muggles and the wizards would integrate smoothly and peacefully--change of any sort sparked backlash, and change of this magnitude would cause a proportionate level of contention.

But on the other hand, she would never condone hiding knowledge. People had a right to know the truth about the universe. Concealing the truth went against everything she worked for as a scientist--her job was to expose the truth, for the benefit of mankind and for the sake of progress. And more people with knowledge of both magic and science would undoubtedly result in unimaginable progress in just about every field. The world could improve in leaps and bounds if wizards and muggles combined resources and worked together.

The only problem was that people couldn't be trusted to work together--and it was just as likely that revealing such knowledge could tear them apart. So Clara was undecided on the issue--not because it didn't matter to her, but because neither choice was wholely right or wrong, and either way it went, she agonized over the issues it presented.

The slip of paper she'd received, however, had chosen for her, so for the current debate, she wouldn't have to worry about that. Her country was Portugal, and she was arguing against changing the Statute. She'd done her research, as always, and she came prepared with pages of notes to help with her argument.

She couldn't help but feel as if she were arguing against herself, though. As a muggleborn, the Statute put her, and others like her, at a disadvantage. Doing away with the Statute was certainly tempting, and, in an ideal world, without a doubt the best option.

But this was not an ideal world, and she understood both sides. She could argue convincingly for either one, so she put her reservations aside, and focused on the task she'd been given. She entered the classroom and sat down, slightly away from the rest of the students, organizing her notes in a neat stack before her.


OOC: Portugal. Against.